By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 7: Construction of the Shillong College of Engineering is now complete, but the institution is yet to become operational due to observations from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The state government, in a bid to address these concerns, is developing a separate administrative block.
Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma, who inspected the college site located at Mawlai along with other officials on Wednesday, confirmed the completion of the main building. “The building is completed. Due process is on to make it functional; however, due to some observations from the AICTE, we are not able to function immediately,” Sangma said.
He elaborated that the AICTE requires a separate administrative building, which is currently being constructed. “We hope the college will start functioning at the earliest,” he added.
Rakkam reiterated that albeit the college building is ready, the processes of affiliation and approval are under way. The state government will soon begin recruiting staff as well as faculty. “We are expecting by the next academic session we should be able to start a few courses,” he said.
Discussing the courses to be offered, Sangma mentioned that the college, being the state’s first engineering institution, will have five departments — Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Mining Engineering.
He expressed optimism that these courses will help address local issues such as mining and environmental safety.
The minister also noted that the state reservation policy will apply to the college as it is being sponsored by the state government.